B2 – Upper intermediate
Old style parenting may no longer be appealing and can be equated to neglect. Others feel, however, that it is necessary to let kids wander.
Read the article below then share your opinions. Watch the 2 videos included in the article to get a bigger picture of the topic.
http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/old-style-parenting-starts-debate-in-us/2679250.html
Discussion Questions:
1. What’s your take on “free-range” parenting?
2. Should the government interfere in a family’s parenting decision?
3. What do you think is the best parenting style?
4. How did your parents raise you as a child?
4 replies on “Old Style Parenting”
1. What’s your take on “free-range” parenting?
I disagree about this way of understanding life. Children need protection from their parents, because streets are full of risks for them. Adults with bad intentions, cars and another vehicles, and so on.
2. Should the government interfere in a family’s parenting decision?
If it could avoid any damage to the children, due to a bad parenting decision, yes of course.
3. What do you think is the best parenting style?
I do not know because it is so difficult, but I guess it is a mix between being very tolerant and quite rigid.
4. How did your parents raise you as a child?
They were quite protective. Later, when I was teen, I remember I was angry with them frequently because I asked for more freedom 😉
Appreciate your efforts in writing your answers down. Keep it up!
See how this sentence can be improved:
Keep practicing your writing.
1. What’s your take on “free-range” parenting?
In my opinion it is very dangerous to leave a young kid alone.
2. Should the government interfere in a family’s parenting decision?
No, not in general but yes when it has consequences for the kid or for other families. IN a house, every family can do whatever they decide is better for their kids (without harming them, of course). When they are OUT of their houses, everything have social/communitary implications (the way of speaking, the way of clothing, the way of acting and thei “free-range” style).
3. What do you think is the best parenting style?
The best parenting style is the own style of every family but It may not have any inconvenience for other families or kids.
4. How did your parents raise you as a child?
I have an older sister. From her age of fourteen (when I was 10 YO) we walk alone to the school (200m from our house). I could go to the school alone and to my friends houses at the age of 14 too.
I recognize my parents as a protective parents and I’m a protective mother too.
5. Do you think the Meitivs pushed the limits of free-range parenting?
In my opinion, yes. To walk alone more than 1km a boy aged 10 and a girl aged 6 is very risky in my opinion.
6. Do you think the courts have over stepped their bounds?
No, the courts has the responsibility to look for safety at any age and specially when children is involved.
7. At what age do children play unsupervised where you live?
Depending on the village. In a Big City like Barcelona, children start to walk to school alone (or in groups without adults) when they are starting the superior education (ESO), when they are 11-12 YO.
Interesting insights on parenting styles. Thanks for sharing your very own too.
Take note of how this sentence can be phrased a bit better:
From her age of fourteen (when I was 10 YO) we walk alone to the school (200m from our house).